diff --git a/rust-toolchain.toml b/rust-toolchain.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d56faf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rust-toolchain.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+[toolchain]
+channel = "nightly"
diff --git a/src/fasta.rs b/src/fasta.rs
index c3d9104..1076ae5 100644
--- a/src/fasta.rs
+++ b/src/fasta.rs
@@ -1,58 +1,62 @@
-use nom::{
-    bytes::complete::{tag, take_while},
-    multi::many0,
-    IResult,
-};
+use std::io::{BufReader, BufRead, Read};
 
-use crate::dna::Dna;
+pub struct FastaReader<R: Read> {
+    reader: BufReader<R>,
+    next_id: Option<String>,
 
-pub fn parse_records(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, Vec<FastaDna>> {
-    many0(parse_record)(input)
 }
 
-fn from_fasta_body(ascii: &str) -> Dna {
-    let mut dna = Dna {
-        length: ascii.len(),
-        nucleotides: vec![0; Dna::bytes_to_store(ascii.len())],
-    };
-
-    let mut i = 0;
-    for c in ascii.chars() {
-        match c {
-            '\n' => {
-                continue;
-            }
-            'C' | 'c' => dna.init_with(i, 1),
-            'G' | 'g' => dna.init_with(i, 2),
-            'T' | 't' => dna.init_with(i, 3),
-            _ => dna.init_with(i, 0),
-        }
-
-        i += 1;
+impl<R: Read> FastaReader<R> {
+    pub fn new(reader: R) -> Self {
+        Self { reader: BufReader::new(reader), next_id: None }
     }
-
-    dna.trim(i);
-    dna
 }
 
-fn parse_record(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, FastaDna> {
-    let (input, id) = parse_id(input)?;
-    let (input, sequence) = parse_sequence(input)?;
-
-    Ok((input, FastaDna { id, sequence }))
-}
+impl<R: Read> Iterator for FastaReader<R> {
+    type Item = FastaDna;
 
-fn parse_id(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, String> {
-    let (input, _) = tag(">")(input)?;
-    let (input, id) = take_while(|c| c != '\n')(input)?;
+    fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
+        let mut id = self.next_id.take().unwrap_or_default();
+        let mut sequence = String::with_capacity(1000);
+        //if let Ok(buffer) = self.reader.fill_buf() {
+        //
+        //} else {
+        //
+        //}
 
-    Ok((&input[1..], id.to_string()))
+        loop {
+            let mut line = String::new();
+            match self.reader.read_line(&mut line) {
+                // buffer is completely read
+                Ok(0) => {
+                    if id.is_empty() {
+                        return None;
+                    } else {
+                        return Some(FastaDna { id, sequence: Dna::from_ascii(&sequence) });
+                    }
+                }
+                // buffer is not empty yet
+                Ok(_) => {
+                    if line.starts_with('>') {
+                        self.next_id = Some(line[1..].trim().to_string());
+                        if !id.is_empty() {
+                            return Some(FastaDna { id, sequence: Dna::from_ascii(&sequence) });
+                        }
+                        id = line[1..].trim().to_string();
+                        sequence.clear();
+                    } else {
+                        sequence.push_str(&line.trim());
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(_) => {
+                    return None;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
-fn parse_sequence(input: &str) -> IResult<&str, Dna> {
-    let (input, sequence) = take_while(|c| c != '>')(input)?;
-    Ok((input, from_fasta_body(sequence)))
-}
+use crate::dna::Dna;
 
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub struct FastaDna {
diff --git a/tests/dna_test.rs b/tests/dna_test.rs
index 123c0c0..6def123 100644
--- a/tests/dna_test.rs
+++ b/tests/dna_test.rs
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ fn can_be_appended() {
 
 #[test]
 fn kmer_cache_contains_correct_value() {
-    let cache = nuc::dna::KMER_CACHE;
+    let cache = &nuc::dna::KMER_CACHE;
     assert_eq!(cache[0], [4, 0, 0, 0]);
     assert_eq!(cache[1], [3, 1, 0, 0]);
     assert_eq!(cache[2], [3, 0, 1, 0]);
diff --git a/tests/fasta_test.rs b/tests/fasta_test.rs
index 6e8c7ea..aee0d83 100644
--- a/tests/fasta_test.rs
+++ b/tests/fasta_test.rs
@@ -1,21 +1,23 @@
-
 use nuc::{
     dna::Dna,
-    fasta::{self, FastaDna},
+    fasta::{self, FastaDna, FastaReader},
 };
 
 #[test]
 fn can_read_an_example_fasta_file() {
-    let fasta_content = ">Some Identifier\n\
+    let reader = FastaReader::new(
+        ">Some Identifier\n\
                          ATGCCGTA\n\
                          >Another Identifier\n\
                          CTAACGAA\n\
                          >Yet Another Identifier\n\
                          ATAC\n\
-                         ATAAGTAGGG";
-    let records = fasta::parse_records(fasta_content).unwrap().1;
+                         ATAAGTAGGG"
+            .as_bytes()
+    );
+
     assert_eq!(
-        records,
+        reader.into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>(),
         vec![
             FastaDna {
                 id: "Some Identifier".to_string(),
@@ -35,6 +37,6 @@ fn can_read_an_example_fasta_file() {
 
 #[test]
 fn can_read_an_empty_fasta_file() {
-    let records = fasta::parse_records("").unwrap().1;
+    let records = FastaReader::new("".as_bytes()).into_iter().collect::<Vec<_>>();
     assert_eq!(records, vec![]);
 }